roost bars
Alektorophobia keeps roost bars in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Found lumber roost bars too wide for your feathered friends: cluck-tastic or fowl play”, “16 hens, 80 feet, one rooster: is your coop a cluck-tastic fit”, and “Two Surprise Sons Hatch a Plot My Husband Never Saw Coming”. Oh, the eternal chicken coop dilemma, found lumber is a cluck-tastic budget move, but those roost bars might be more fowl play than feathered friend approved. Chickens. Everything there is to know about chickens and the fear of them. The list below is every roost bars story on Alektorophobia, newest first.
Found lumber roost bars too wide for your feathered friends: cluck-tastic or fowl play
Oh, the eternal chicken coop dilemma, found lumber is a cluck-tastic budget move, but those roost bars might be more fowl play than feathered friend approved. A standard 2x4 laid flat is the gold standard for happy chicken feet, and that wide lumber you found sounds like it could be a perch for a pterodactyl, not a hen. In NE New England, your birds need to wrap their toes around something to keep warm, and a too-wide bar means cold, unhappy feet. Trust me, I've seen the chaos of bad coop design before, just ask anyone who survived a midnight fox raid, a narrow escape, and four very shaken chickens. Go grab a proper 2x4 before your girls stage a rebellion.
16 hens, 80 feet, one rooster: is your coop a cluck-tastic fit
So you've got 16 hens, 80 square feet of coop, and a rooster whose ticket is already punched. Let's talk cluck-tastic fit. That's about 5 square feet per bird indoors, right at the cozy end of the recommended 4-6. With 10 nest boxes, you're practically running a luxury egg hotel. And 16 linear feet of roost bars? Your girls will be sleeping shoulder-to-shoulder, which they actually prefer (chickens are basically feathered sardines). The 250-square-foot run gives them over 15 square feet each to chase bugs and avoid their own drama. You're good, unless your rooster has opinions. And if you're still worried, check out our piece on "Saddle-sized rats raiding your run? I feel your fowl pain" for the real coop nightmares.
Two Surprise Sons Hatch a Plot My Husband Never Saw Coming
Well, talk about a plot twist that would ruffle anyone's feathers. These two gorgeous boys were never supposed to hatch, but a well-meaning husband and a broody silkie had other plans while our friend was away for ten days. Now, these stunning Tolbunt Polish mixes have turned into absolute terrors, relentlessly chasing the very hen who raised them. It's a classic case of fowl play, and honestly, my heart aches for that poor traumatized silkie. Her usual man, the black silkie who also happens to be their dad, just stands by like a proud papa while these two cause chaos. It's a messy family drama, and while they are undeniably pretty, something has to give.